Medication Errors
A medication error refers to any preventable occurrence that might result in patient suffering or inappropriate medication use. In the primary treatment, a pharmaceutical mistake is a failure that causes or threatens damage to the victim. Medication mistakes may happen at any point in the medication-use process. When a client is prescribed a medication, information is entered into a computer network, the medicine is manufactured or distributed, or the drug is delivered to or consumed by a client. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) receives over 100,000 complaints of potential drug errors from the United States every year (Schmidt et al., 2017). The FDA examines and analyzes the complaints to identify the root cause and nature of the problem (Schmidt et al., 2017). Additionally, undesirable medical mistakes expose patients to undesirable conditions that undermine their efforts to lead sustainable lifestyles.
Although the information is at the public’s disposal, the society members are ignorant of the topic’s complexity. When a medication is ordered or prescribed, mistakes are most likely. Typical mistakes include prescribing the incorrect medicine, giving it unpleasantly, giving it at the incorrect time, and so on. Almost half of all drug mistakes are due to ordering mistakes. According to data, nursing specialists and pharmacists identify between 30 and 70% of drug ordering errors (Schmidt et al., 2017). Medication mistakes are a common occurrence, but they are also avoidable in the majority of instances. Importantly, reports indicate that medical researchers categorize unethical medical behaviors, arguing that the incompetency of the physicians and other health stakeholders contributes to undesirable health outcomes. Thus, understanding the possibilities of medical errors at the various phases is crucial for safeguarding the health players’ welfare.
The FDA monitors and analyzes medication administration errors reports filed after a medicine has been authorized for sale in the United States. There is a possibility that the FDA may request that an organization that makes medications change the labels and proprietary names to avoid drug mistakes. The FDA may send messages warning people about a drug’s mistakes. To prevent medical errors and address broader safety risks that may be contributing factors, the FDA works closely with stakeholders outside the agency. These include regulatory agencies, patient care institutions, and benchmark institutions like the U.S. pharmaceuticals and researchers. With the assistance of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), pharmaceutical companies may now create safer medicine labels by using advice from the agency on labeling, packaging, and even selecting drug names.
Annotated Bibliography
Patel, N., Desai, M., Shah, S., Patel, P., & Gandhi, A. (2016). A study of medication errors in a tertiary care hospital. Perspectives in Clinical Research, 7(4), 168.
The authors of this educative piece conducted an observational and prospective study to determine the specific types and nature of the medication errors, including the drug-drug interactions amongst the patients within the healthcare settings. Additionally, the entrusted health researchers conclude that medical practitioners and decision-makers need the medical error reporting systems to guarantee that the team addresses the issue effectively. The information included in this paper can help understand the distinct MEs that undermine the effective success of the medical operations in the health department. Incorporating the facts herein and in the other selected pieces can prove to be essential. They guarantee the understanding of the elements of MEs and the alternative ideas to reduce the adversities associated with the program (Patel et al., 2016). Thus, this article’s contents can help promote the success of the health department by guaranteeing the reduction of potential MEs. The knowledge gained can inform the decisions of the entrusted medical practitioners.
Schmidt, K., Taylor, A., & Pearson, A. (2017). Reduction of medication errors: A unique approach. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 32(2), 150-156.
The information included herein emphasizes that patient damage may result from medication mistakes. In this context, past mistakes were analyzed using a novel method known as Socio-Technical Probabilistic Risk Assessment. The objective was to find the smallest number of stages that, if followed consistently, would improve dependability and reduce mistakes. According to preliminary research, when administering intravenous medicine or fluid, follow these three procedures to ensure safety. Using these three stages has been shown to reduce mistakes by 22% (Schmidt et al., 2017). The authors provide unique approaches to address the potential medication mistakes. Thus, it is correct to conclude that medical scholars can use the content herein to better their knowledge regarding the complexity of the topic. Interestingly, the facts herein supplement those from the other pieces, thus increasing the likelihood of enhanced patients’ safety from the sudden errors during the implementation of the health programs recommended for the specific health problems.
Sonawane, K. B., Cheng, N., & Hansen, R. A. (2018). Serious adverse drug events reported to the FDA: Analysis of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System 2006-2014 database. Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy, 24(7), 682-690.
Population statistics on adverse drug reactions (ADRs) offer crucial information about the quality of pharmaceuticals in real-world situations. There is no information on recent trends in the reporting of life-threatening and fatal ADEs. One of the primary goals of this project was to determine current trends in the number of severe and life-threatening ADE incidents reported in the US. The authors analyzed the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System database, which was made available to the public in 2006-2014, retrospectively (Sonawane et al., 2018). According to the findings, from 2006 to 2014, the proportion of severe ADE complaints increased steadily. Many severe adverse drug events (ADEs) were linked to medicines in the REMS program, biologics, and specialty pharmaceuticals. Data on reporting trends better may guide monitoring and pharmaco-epidemiological study research to understand the burden on healthcare systems of severe ADEs. The data from this piece are key to boosting the understanding of this complex topic.
Tariq, R. A., Vashisht, R., & Scherbak, Y. (2020). Medication errors. StatPearls [Internet].
The authors of this educative piece focus on enlightening the responsible parties about the complex nature of medication error. Specifically, the publishers focused on various education programs to ensure that the team had a vast knowledge about MEs. Also, the facts presented in the source give details about the benefits associated with teamwork within the health sector. All the key players need to coordinate and work towards achieving their mutual goals. Research assistants argue that Americans and the entire global population suffer undesirable financial setbacks because of undesirable medical blunders. According to the source, treating patients with drug mistakes costs more than $40 billion annually (Tariq et al., 2021). Medication mistakes not only cost money, but they can cause emotional and physical harm to patients. Finally, pharmaceutical mistakes have the unintended effect of decreasing patient loyalty and increasing skepticism about the health system as a whole. As part of this exercise, participants will learn about typical medication mistakes and how healthcare professionals may help to reduce medication errors. Thus, the information herein is crucial towards understanding the complex topic.
Thus, the following annotated bibliography explores the complexity of the “medication error” topic to guarantee that the health stakeholders, including the patients, remain safe from the potential adversities associated with the programs. It is impossible to say with certainty how often people make pharmaceutical mistakes; the detecting technique may influence the predicted frequency. Most mistakes go undetected, and the few that are, only a small percentage lead to adverse drug reactions (ADRs) or other severe side effects. Therefore, navigating through the following sources is key to an empowered health team and enlightening them about the alternative medical approaches to address the issue.
Specifically, navigating through the four sources confirmed the following facts:
- Medical error exposes the health practitioners to undesirable financial costs.
- The FDA partners with the other key parties to safeguard the population from the adversities associated with adverse drug reactions.
- All the key players have to safeguard themselves and the population from the potential health outcomes.
References
Patel, N., Desai, M., Shah, S., Patel, P., & Gandhi, A. (2016). A study of medication errors in a tertiary care hospital. Perspectives in Clinical Research, 7(4), 168.
Schmidt, K., Taylor, A., & Pearson, A. (2017). Reduction of medication errors: A unique approach. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 32(2), 150-156.
Sonawane, K. B., Cheng, N., & Hansen, R. A. (2018). Serious adverse drug events reported to the FDA: Analysis of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System 2006-2014 database. Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy, 24(7), 682-690.
Tariq, R. A., Vashisht, R., & Scherbak, Y. (2020). Medication errors. StatPearls [Internet].
